1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus which can perform a process of an image on an original.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, in the case of performing a process to remove the background noise of an original image, there has been adopted a method of performing the process to eliminate the background noise in an arbitrary area on a predetermined original readout surface on the basis of the size of the original which is selected by the operator. However, this method has the drawback that with respect to a small original or an original which was preliminarily irregularly placed on the original readout surface without being designated, it is impossible to perform the process to eliminate the background noise in the whole area of the original image.
In this invention, the process to eliminate the background noise denotes a series of processes such that, upon recording of an image, the portion other than the image information such as characters, figures or the like on an original, namely, the background portion on the original, is not recorded at the gradient level which was actually detected in that background portion but is recorded at a predetermined level such as white or the like.